Over 10k security personnel to be deployed for Indak-Indak

Of the 23,000 personnel tasked to provide security coverage in this year’s Kadayawan celebration, over half will be deployed this Saturday to cover the Inda-Indak sa Kadalanan activity.

Indak-Indak is one the highlights of the Kadayawan Festival and is expected to draw in the greatest number of spectators.

Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Head PCol Alberto Lupaz said security detail on the day of the activity will be made up of uniformed personnel from the DCPO with augmentation from the PNP, the Task Force Davao with supplementary forces from the AFP, the Davao City Public Safety and Security Office’s Civil Security Unit (CSU), as well as force multipliers from the local government.

Lupaz bared that the city’s security cluster had already conducted a series of coordinating conferences to ensure a smooth and orderly implementation of the security plan for Indak-Indak.

Since the activity will be moved from its usual morning schedule to the afternoon, he said the security template has been adjusted in line with the new schedule.

“In this year’s Kadayawan, mag-start siya ng 2 p.m. so we are expecting na ang itong gagawin natin na activities sa main thoroughfare sa Davao maabutan na ng gabi. So ito ‘yong mga adjustments natin dahil gabi na (In this year’s Kadayawan, this will start at 2 p.m. so we are expecting activities in Davao City’s main thoroughfare to last until night time. So, we made some adjustments because the activity will be at night),” he said during the AFP-PNP media conference at the Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday.

The DCPO, he claimed, has raised its level of alertness by doubling security assets such as its K9 Unit to improve monitoring capabilities in the evening. All security personnel, he said, will be bringing flashlights to observe and patrol better at night.

The DCPO chief added that the usual guidelines still apply to those who want to join the activities. Backpacks, non-transparent water containers, and laser lights will not be allowed within the vicinity of the event venue. He said people may still wear jackets but will have to remove them upon inspection. Those apprehended for bringing prohibited objects, Lupaz said, will be asked to surrender their possessions or go home.

However, the apprehension of firearms, bomb jokes, and other serious offenses durng the activity will lead to an arrest.

Lupaz urged the public to keep the culture of security in mind even as they partake in this weekend’s festivities. CIO